And the Sun Rose (Captain EO Fanfic)
by Stimbleweed
Summary: Elocin Ryder is an aspiring pilot with dreams of becoming the most celebrated Captain in the galaxies. But after graduating from the Cor University, she is assigned to be the infamous Captain Eo's apprentice, and her life is changed forever.
1. Chapter 1

My heart thudded with excitement as my starship rattled violently. Hit again? This was gonna get dangerous...just the way I liked it. Red lights were flashing around me and the computer repeated the same monotone warning over and over again through the loudspeaker. _"Warning, enemy spacecraft in range, Warning..."_ My crew was already on it, aiming the turrets at the enemy craft. My Co-Pilot came up behind me and cleared his throat, saluting before speaking to me-

"Do you want us to turn on the shields Captain Ryder?" I shook my head and smiled confidently.  
"No, we're gonna make it." He frowned and inquired again-  
"Are you sure Miss Ryder? The enemy is right on top of us!" I took hold of the control stick and leaned back in the Pilot's seat.  
"Cool it, I know what I'm doing. No need to get hyped up over nothing." I laughed and pulled up on the controller violently, sending us into a back flip over the enemy ship giving us a chance to fire.  
_"Elocin..."_  
"Now!" I shouted and the turrets-

**_ "ELOCIN!"_**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?~~~~~~~~~~?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?~~~~~~~~**

My best friend Jaelene stood in the doorway of my dorm room with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. She knew she had interrupted my daydreaming YET again. She giggled at my zoned-out expression and flipped her flaming pink hair to the side.  
"ooooh, what were YOU fantasizing about? Nothing naughty I hope..." She winked at me and I rolled my eyes. Jaelene was such a sicko, everything was about boys with her.  
"Ya, because I totally have erotic fantasies about boys in my spare time." I said sarcastically. Jaline pouted her lip at me.-  
"Aw, but it's so fun!" I laughed and sat up off the bed.-  
"You need a hobby." She smirked at my comment, and put her hands on her hips impatiently.-  
"Well? Are you ready or what? The Initiation Ceremony starts in 5 minutes, and I am not going to be late because I was nice and waited for you." I gave her a confused look.  
"...wait, since when are you nice?" I asked, cracking a smile. Jaelene frowned, hissing at me grumpily.  
"Ok, ok I'm coming, don't get your panties in a wad." I said, grabbing my bags and following her out the door, which sealed itself behind us.

My name is Elocin Ryder. I have been a trainee at the Starfleet Cor University for as long as I can remember. Now, after countless years of nothing but books and lectures, I was finally going to become an official member of the Cor. The 'Cor' , was the biggest outer-spacial military defense organization on our half of the universe. Only a few select people make it to the top in the Cor, and let me tell you, I was going to be one of those people. For now I had to focus on the Initiation ceremony, where each graduating trainee (_like mahself_) would be assigned to a Captain in the Cor, and become his or her apprentice. WHICH ~translated~ means you have to do whatever the hell they tell you to do, whenever they want you to do it. But hey, it was better than being stuck at the University for another year. I'm Elocin Ryder, and one day I'm going to be the most famous Captain to ever serve in the Cor.

"Here we are!"-Jaelene said in her usual singsongy voice as we entered the Captains hall. The walls were chrome plated and there were tons of service droids buzzing around. It was way high-end compared to what we had back in the university sector of the ship. A hologram came up in the center of the room of this old guy with big bushy eyebrows and a grimace that looked like it was tattooed across his face.  
"Attention graduates of the university. I must congratulate you for your-" I yawned._ Blah blah blah. I wish this guy would just get to the good part!_ _We already got the "you graduated, you're awesome" speech from the professors back at the university... _ Jaelene looked at me and held up her hand, moving it like a mouth to what the old guy on the hologram was saying in a mocking fashion. I held back a giggle. Finally he said something of interest and I started listening again-

"The captains will join you momentarily, so if you would all get in a single file line, and when they arrived the ceremony will begin. Good Luck." -and with that his little bushy-browed face disappeared. I whispered to Jaelene as we all smooshed into a single file line going across the room,  
" You don't think we'll be seeing him a lot do you? He's making this job harder just by making us look at his face." Jaelene smirked.  
" Thats Commander Bog,"

_ Hm, his name suits him_, I thought as Jaelene continued, "He's the one who gives the Captains their missions. He acts all important, but he doesn't really do anything but boss people around and be a jerk. SO, in other words ya, we may be seeing a lot of him."  
"Lucky us." Our giggles came to an abrupt stop when the terminal door in the back of the room opened, and one by one the Captains started filing in. They all stood tall, and walked with a purpose. Some of them were cute, with dreamy scarlet eyes and pointed ears, just like in the magazines, (Jaelene pointed those ones out right away) while others looked a little...foreign; meaning tentacles, blue skin, antennae, spikes, you get the picture. I ran my fingers through my short black hair self consciously. I never payed attention to how I looked, nor did I really care, but I was the only one of my species as far as I knew, and it left me feeling a little alone sometimes. A skinny little creature that looked like a cross between a kangaroo and a swordfish walked out into the center of the room with a CP scroll-(Like an Ipad only holographic XD) and started reading names from it.  
"Xander Oreal...please step forward." It bellowed. Everybody looked down the row to Xander-a dorky nerd who exceeded in like, EVERYTHING (that wasn't physical).  
"You will grab your bags and report to your captains side after I announce his name, are we clear?" Xander nodded, even though the statement was sorta to everyone.  
"Your Captain is...Miss Fleur Auderisa." Everyone applauded as Xander happily joined Captain Auderisa at the other side of the room.  
"Lucky." I whispered to Jaelene. Captain Auderisa was definitely the smartest, and had saved the Cor's Security system from hackers numerous times. Now I was excited. All these famous Captains...and I was going to be an apprentice to one of them!- MENTAL FANGIRL SQUEAL! On and on the names were called, and Jaelene and I watched more of our classmates get assigned to their captains. Captain De Lerosa-best gunman, Captain Thiomar-best pilot, Captain Shauna Hilton, most seductive. (Its a talent) I grew more anxious as it narrowed down to only a few more people on the trainee side of the room. I watched as Jaelene was assigned to her captain, Kwaradino Brenton-famous for defeating an entire enemy fleet with a single ship. I chewed on my fingernails nervously. Come ON, my name had to be somewhere on that list.  
"Elocin Ryder"- I was sooooooo happy I wasn't called last I almost died of relief right there. But ya, that would look stupid so I just stepped forward like a good little apprentice.  
"Your captain is..."-the little creature paused and looked at the CP scroll oddly, and I could swear I saw a smirk on his face. "Captain Michael EO..." A hiss of quiet whispers tore through the crowd.

Captain EO? Who was that? I'd certainly never heard of him. I watched the faces of some of the other Captains. Some looked amused, while some shook their heads scornfully. I scanned the line of captains, but none of them stood forward. _Great, he's probly some deaf old Yoda lookin' guy that didn't even hear his name get called. Lovely._ The little announcer creature turned around and cleared his throat. "Captain EO? **Captain Michael E-O**." NO one stood forward. One of the captains smirked and whispered a little too audibly-

"_He's late._"

**WHAT?** What kind of Captain was late to the Initiation Ceremony!? Suddenly the door at the back of the room slid open, and a small figure darted in and sprinted to the end of the line of Captains. Breathing hard and in disarray, he tried to stand up tall with his hands behind his back, doing his best to blend in with the other Captains. _Oh no, please don't tell me that's_-  
"Captain EO...you're late." Said the Kangaroo Swordfish thing. The Captain looked crushed by the scornful eyes staring him down.  
"I'm so sorry, I tried to get here on time, but-" his voice was so quiet and soft like a child's, I was almost upset when the thing interrupted him.  
"Captains don't make excuses." -His mouth closed stiffly and he looked down. I frowned, feeling a little more sympathetic for the stranger than I probably should have. Picking up my bags, I headed over to him silently, skimming over his characteristics as I did so. His hair was a dark black like mine, except it was wildly curly with one particular curl sticking out cutely right in the middle of his forehead. Human, I guessed, from his rounded ears and earthy features. But it was his eyes that really got me. They were such a rich dark brown, very deep and piercing. He glanced at me, and when our eyes met I looked down quickly, feeling my face get hot. There was a funny fluttery feeling in my stomach that wouldn't go away. _What the hell is going on? Am I sick? Oh it's his fault I know it..._

I decided right then and there that I didn't like my Captain at all, and I would try to speak with him as little as possible. Maybe then my stomach would stop acting up...I don't know. He wasn't at all the Captain I'd expected or wanted. And he would know that before the day was up.


	2. Chapter 2

**~**EO's Point of View**~**

I sprinted around another corner as fast as my feet could carry me. The Initiation ceremony had started 5 minutes ago, and I was probably the only Captain not there yet. I kept glancing down at my watch; as if looking at it would make the hands turn backwards. Time has no mercy.  
It wasn't entirely my fault. Captains were supposed to show up in uniform, but Hooter ate my last vest and I had to go get a new one from the dry cleaners at the last minute. I clenched my fists as I ran. _Doggon'it Hooter!_- I thought,_ If I get demoted because of this..._-

Not paying attention, I ran head-on into another Cor pilot walking in the opposite direction, sending us both flying onto the cold metal floor of the busy corridor. Bystanding military personnel stopped and stared at the mess, but no one attempted to help. After exchanging odd glances and whispering cynical remarks to one another, they would just continue walking without saying a word. I stood up quickly and helped the other pilot to his feet breathlessly.  
"I am so sorry I didn't see-I was-I-I'm sorry I really have to go-Sorry!" My apology came out horribly rushed and awkward. I wished I could say more, but manners were the least of my concerns at the moment. I took off running again, leaving the confused pilot behind me and silently hoping he wasn't anybody who could get me fired. Just ahead, I could see the terminal door that lead into the meeting hall where the ceremony was being held. I skidded to a halt in front of it and pressed the 'release lock' button, looking up at the door anxiously as I waited for it to open.  
"Identification Please." The loudspeaker above the door announced. I groaned, pulling off one of my gloves and pressing my hand to the security scanner.  
"Come on, come on, come on!" I didn't have time for this!  
After confirming my identity the door slid open and I rushed inside, trying hard not to be noticed as I took my spot at the end of the line.  
Oh, who was I kidding. I could almost feel the hundreds of eyes burning into my skin with each step I took. My face grew hot, and what was supposed to be a "low-profile" entrance turned into the most embarrassing moment of my life.

"Captain EO...you're late."-A scornful voice droned. I bit my lip and looked up at the announcer who was reading off names- he looked kinda like a cross between a kangaroo and a swordfish..._(Now I know why those two species should never mate. *shivers*)_ What was I supposed to say?  
"I, well, y-you see I...there was this...My-I mean, he..." I stuttered for a moment, trying to find something to say that wouldn't make me sound rookie. "I'm so sorry, I tried to get here on time, but-"

"Captains' _don't_ make excuses."  
My stomach turned over guiltily; he was right. I shut my mouth and I looked down at the floor, wishing I could just disappear. The Command already considered my crew and I a bunch of losers, and even after our last mission- _(which was a complete success!)_ we were still considered the underdogs._ (Funny how life works)_

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I barely noticed when someone stepped up beside me in line. I looked over into the bright, silvery blue eyes of a girl, who quickly looked away. She appeared to be around my age, if not younger. Early 20's I guessed. She could have passed for human at first glance, but by closer inspection,_ (*cough* pointed ears and odd skin markings)_ I knew she had to be some other race...Vulcan maybe? _(live long and prosper trekies...)_ Her wavy black hair was partially pulled back into a messy braid, which was draped over one shoulder in a not-trying-too-hard-to-look-pretty kind of way. She glanced over at me again briefly and this time, I looked away, biting my lip. This girl...was she...assigned to me? I looked across the room where the last graduating trainee was crossing over to join his new captain. My eyes widened and I got a nervous feeling in my stomach. This girl...was my new apprentice...  
_Oh geez, wha_t_ a first impression, she probably thinks I have no Idea what the hell I'm doing!_- I thought miserably. _That's what she's thinking right now, I bet she-No, no... come on Eo, don't be negative, that never got anyone anywhere..._

**~**Ryder's Point of View**~**

_Dear mother of God, he has no idea what the hell he's doing!_- I thought, annoyed out of my mind. Two decades of nothing but paperwork and sarcasm from grumpy professors, only to be stuck with the amateur Captain of the year! I glanced down the line where all the other graduates and their captains' stood. A few of them caught my nervous eyes, and their thoughts were written out on their faces clear as day. _"I'm sorry."_, their eyes said. I was screwed. The Cor Military Association would NEVER promote a pilot apprenticed to some University dropout. Heaven knows how he became a Captain in the first place.  
Eventually the Ceremony came to a conclusion, and after being congratulated once again for our successful graduation, we were dismissed from the meeting hall. I watched my friends and fellow classmates file out behind their captains-all probably just dreaming of what their first assignments would be. The marble floor was freshly waxed, the walls were lit with robotic lights, cameras, and other new technologies as usual, but I knew that this was the last time I would see these halls for a very long time. I wished I could share the excitement of the other apprenticed Co-pilots, but instead all I felt was a growing feeling of regret in the pit of my stomach. I was almost absolutely certain now that I wanted nothing to do with "Captain Eo", or anyone who worked with him for that matter.  
He kept on glancing over to me, waiting for me to say something to break the ice, but I kept my mouth closed. _Ya, thats right, you just keep on walkin', "Captain", I don't have ANYTHING to say to you._- I thought, smirking to myself. Almost as if hearing my thoughts, he spoke up,  
"Uhm, it's nice to meet your acquaintance, Miss...Miss...umm...-I'm sorry, I'm afraid I never got your name...?"  
"Maybe if you had been at the ceremony on-time, you _would_ know it, sir." I snapped, walking faster so that I didn't have to look at him.  
"I would..." He ran up beside me again confidently, "but... if you don't mind telling it to me now, I would love to know who I'm apologizing to."  
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face him. "Listen, '_Eo_', you and I both know you screwed up, so quit trying to sugar-coat it by acting like some sort of Saint, Okay?" That struck a nerve. He flinched and his brow furrowed slightly.  
"I know this hasn't been the best day for you, and I'm sorry that I was late to the ceremony. I know you must have been embarra-"  
"Oh, I was."  
His face flushed a bright red color.  
"I'm sorry Miss."  
"Ugh, It's Ryder, Ok? Just quit calling me 'Miss'."  
"Ryder..." He repeated, and I saw a bit of relief in his eyes as if learning my name were some big accomplishment. "Well, Ryder it's nice to meet you." He said, his voice empty of sarcasm or anything else that I could use against him.  
"The pleasure is all mine." I replied, and we were silent as we walked on.

**~**Eo's Point of View**~**

I didn't know what to do. This girl was supposed to be my apprentice, and so far I had only established two things. One: that her name was Ryder, and Two: that she completely hated my guts. My throat was knotted up, and I felt this overwhelming feeling of failure that stayed like a bad aftertaste in my mouth. This was my chance to prove to the Cor and all the other Captains' that I could not only take care of myself and my crew, but also train and manage an apprentice.  
I tried to clear my mind, shutting everything out and focusing on the steady beat of my footsteps. Immediately my mind took that beat and began to create a symphony around it, like a grand musical conductor. I always felt at ease when the music was with me, and I used it now, as I often did, to calm my nerves and set myself aright. I didn't speak another word to my new apprentice as we walked on, but there was never silence.


	3. Chapter 3

** ~~**Ryder's P.O.V**~~**

Sometimes you just have to laugh at life's little setbacks. Like, tripping up the stairs, or, accidentally spilling a sticky soft drink on your love interest at the movie theater.

**Or**

For example, being apprenticed to an airhead human captain who makes a fool out of you and all that you've worked for your entire life, AND- oh yeah, pilots a ship that looks like a tin can with wings. Its not like I was expecting a first class Spaceracer with a glossy gold finish, but I mean, really, the thing looked like something the Millennium Falcon threw up. The sad little hunk of metal sat in the far corner of the hangar where our squad's fleet was kept, and after what seemed like an eternity of silent walking, we came to a stop in front of it.

"Well, this is home." said Eo, patting the wall of his ship. I stared off in a disinterested manner, refraining myself from responding. (Being stubborn has always been one of my many talents) Eo sighed and grabbed a key card from his pocket, inserting it into a small notch on the ship's exterior. The door panel slid open, but the opening was so inadequate, both of us had to duck in order to gain access. Seconds after we were both inside, a wave of loud voices erupted from somewhere in the ship-

_"Hooter burnt the cake Captain!"_

_"Ohhh, We wanted it to be a surprise!"_

_"Quiet you two, you are being most unprofessional!"_

_"It wasn't my fault, Ody didn't set the timer-"_

_"I thought that was Idey's job!"_

Eo blushed a bright shade of red and cleared his throat.

"Uhm, would you mind waiting here for just a moment? I need to, uh...check on something real quick...just...stay here." He took off around a corner and disappeared from my view. _Stay here!? What does he think I am, a lap dog?_

I heard a loud crash and hurried around the corner after him, darting through the narrow passages of the cluttered ship until I reached the source of the commotion. I stood in the doorway of a small parlor that was dotted with a ragtag group of misfits that I assumed to be my Captain's crew. My appearance caused a silence that lasted shorter than I would have liked.

"That's her?" a stout little elephant-like creature trumpeted.

"That's no way to act towards a lady, Hooter." retorted a 3rd Generation A.I. robot. Eo cleared his throat.

"Guys, this is Ryder, my new apprentice."

"Ryder? What kind of name is that for a girl?"

I shot an accusing glance at the lumpy little elephant thing.

"Ryder was my mother's name, for your information, and I am honored to be able to bear that name, now that she's..." I paused for a moment, "...Now that she's got her own life to worry about. That means is I have to make the name mean something for me now. Hell if this isn't a fantastic start."

**~~**Eo's P.O.V**~~**

I elbowed hooter, hoping that he'd get the hint. We were making her uncomfortable; I should have known better than to put her on the spot like this. I could see it on her face now- that disappointed glassy-eyed stare I was all too familiar with recieving.

"Sorry about that, they were just excited to meet you, that's all. Here, let me introduce-"

"Save your breath." She interrupted half-heartedly. "Can you just show me to my bunk so that I can rest? It's been a long day for me."

My stomach knotted itself up and I swallowed, nodding to her politely. I led her down the shabby, metal-paned hallway, for the first time noticing how unimpressive my ship was. I was self concious about every creak and rusted bolt, every dent and un-polished doornob. Pushing open the door to her quarters I almost felt sick with regret as she got her first look at the particularly average livingspace. She smirked, throwing her bag onto the ground next to her wall-cot.

"If the shower has hot water, I'll be living like a queen." She said under her breath.

I stood in the doorway for a moment awkwardly. _Maybe I should say something, anything?...No, she doesn't want to talk right now...But I should really-oh come on it's not that difficult!_ I opened my mouth to speak but the words never came.

"Are you going to leave or what? I would like a little privacy if you don't mind."

"Oh! Um, of course, I-Yes. I'll just..." I backed out, and she gave me a forced-smile before shutting the door.

_That went well. _ I sighed and trudged back to the parlor where the rest of my crew awaited, thereupon flopping face-down on the couch. Hooter nudged me with his trunk.

"I think she killed him you guys!"

I pushed him over dismissively with one hand without looking up.

"Captain, this simply isn't the solution. She is new to this environment and needs to do some adjusting. I've never seen you get discouraged so easily; your usual tendancy is to ignore the opinions of others." Major Domo's raspy computerized voice sympathized.

I rolled onto my back and looked up at the celing passively. "She's my first apprentice and I'm _supposed_ to be someone she can look up to! All I've been so far is an embarrassment. I don't know why I care so much about her, she's just..."

"Oh come off it Eo," Idey interjected, "She's a woman, an alien species unlike any you've ever encountered. Women are always moody and always want more than you have to offer. Even when you think you've said the right thing, they'll find an error and destroy you with it!"

"That's not true!" Ody snapped, bumping his head into Idey's to shut her up. "She just needs time, Eo. We may seem a mediocre bunch to her now, but just wait until our next big mission when she see's you in action! Our ship isn't bigger that Xiwathu's third moon by any means, but we _are_ considered an elite squad in the emporer's armada. That's an impressive feat in itself."

I sighed and sat up shrugging.

"I concur with Ody, Captain." Major Domo beeped. Hooter shoved a piece of the burnt cake from the counter into his mouth, trumpeting comically at the conversation.

"I just think she's a whiny brat with an ugly name." Major Domo zapped him with one of his uncapped circuts.

"Hooter!" I cried angrily.

"I was just givin' my opinion, geez! Everyone else said their piece, so I said mine, Ok? If you ask me, she needs to suck it up and quit treating you like crap, _that's_ what she needs to do!"

I stood up, shaking my head absent mindedly. Stressing over the situation this late at night wouldn't get me anywhere. I was too tired to worry. What I needed was some kick-back time to mull things over without the opinions of my crew clogging my brain.

I dismissed them each respectively with a salute before sauntering out of the lounge to the main control room where I set the coordinates for just beyond the Cor. planet's outer-rings: a neutral zone. With the ship set on auto pilot, I was finally free to go to my quarters. I stepped on to the lift that was just behind the piloting booth and took it down to my cabin. A wave of repose came over me as my quiet corner of the ship opened up before my eyes. I felt a familiar weight land on my shoulder, which was followed by the soothing purr of Fuzzball in my ear.

"Where have you been this whole time you little vent rat!" I said playfully. He replied in a quiet, melodious language that only I understood. "I _know_ that you're shy, but it wouldn't have been too horrible to have you there with me. Maybe things would have gone better with...her..." He yipped sarcastically at me. I smirked as I sat down on the corner of my bed, "How? I don't know, girls like fluffy pink things. Maybe she would have softened up a bit for you. The butterfly wings would have been a hit too no doubt." Fuzzball grumbled in a high-pitched tone and flew to his hammock that hung in the upper corner of my room. "No no no, I wasn't calling you feminine, I promise! You're a regular roughneck, a beast even!" He perked up slightly and I continued to assure him. "Baddest guy I know!" (Well, besides me.) He seemed satisfied with that and started purring his songs again. I stretched out on my bed, kicking off my boots.

"The guys are probably right though. Everything will be fine with Ryder, she's just caught up in everything that's gone wrong." I crossed my arms behind my head and smiled to myself.  
_Well, we'll just have to show her what I __**can**__ do right now, won't we?_


	4. Chapter 4

**~~**Ryder's P.O.V**~~**

When I woke up the next morning, I was under the delusion that I would be back at the University-That Jaelene would be standing in the doorway waiting for me and I would hurry after her to our first set of classes-That everything would be back to normal. Unfortunately this was not the case. My nostalgic imagination was shattered by the cold, stale air which woke me from a dreamless sleep. I rolled to the side of the bed and groggily looked around at the closet-sized room I now called home. Since there was no morning, evening, or night in space, it was necessary to train your brain to be precociously aware of time. It was very easy to oversleep, or rather, to forget to sleep at all, but it was expected of all associates of the Cor to be above such rookie mistakes. I was always on time when it came to sleep hours-**But**, I was also a girl, and if I felt like spending an extra two hours in the bathroom deciding whether I wanted my hair up or down, it would be so.  
I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom, thanking the Gods that I didn't have to share it with anyone else on the ship. My new uniform sat neatly folded on the counter and I snatched it up, holding it out in front of me so that I could look at it in the mirror. It was rather similar Eo's suit, and I frowned pessimistically at it. Stepping into it, I felt that I was officially a part of the crew, a thought which revolted me. _Clearly this wasn't a design made to flatter women._ I observed as every curve I might have possibly possessed disappeared under the baggy fabric. Definitely not the ensemble I would have willfully chosen. But hey, nothing was going my way anyway, so expecting it to was pointless. I braided my hair lazily just to get it out of my face, mentally preparing myself for the first day of "training" with my captain. I ambled into the main control room and was surprised to find it empty. _Figures, they're all probably still asleep. Some "elite" squad this is..._ I criticized, resting against the wall and exhaling crossly. The sound of glass shattering in a nearby chamber caught my attention. _Déjà vu_. I thought, rolling my eyes, and reluctantly I went to investigate.

"Hooter, you're making a mess!" I heard the robot proclaim as I stumbled upon the kitchen. The little elephant thing had smashed open a jar filled with breakfast rolls and was now happily devouring the mess he had created like some stout saggy vaccume. I crossed my arms disapprovingly and leaned against the arc of the doorway.  
"Huh, Does it _always_ break things and disrupt order on this ship?" I asked sarcastically. A spit-soaked roll hit my face and I shrieked, recoiling in shock.

"Do you _always_ open your mouth and make everybody miserable? " Hooter said smugly as he scarfed down another roll. I wiped the disgusting spit residue off my face and lunged at him. He dodged me, laughing irritatingly. My fists were clenched and ready for retaliation.

"You repulsive little..." I took another swing, at him, accidentally knocking over a plate that had been sitting on the edge of the table. It hit the floor and shattered. Hooter snorted and honked like a tone-deaf marching band.

"Who's the one breaking things now!" He bashed, "You seem a little high-strung Ryder, maybe you aren't cut out for this type of work... Might I suggest the sanitation department? Your face looks like it would be the perfect tool for scrubbing bathroom floors!"

I was just about to beat the living daylight out of him when Eo appeared in the kitchen and separated the brawl. He started to speak, but I was in no mood to be chastised, so I cut him off-  
"It was that stupid elephant Eo, he was verbally abusing me-"

"Yeah, and I'm going to physically abuse you in a second, you brown-nosing University tool!"

"Just you try touching me again and I'll shove that disgusting trunk of yours right up your-" Eo's exasperated cry silenced us-  
"Will you two PLEASE knock it off and listen to me? Everybody, listen! I need all of you to get to your stations immediately, the ship has flown off-course and I need as many hands as I can get! To your stations, now!" He was nearly out of breath when he finished. A moment of silent stillness followed that could have split time and space, but the awed crew soon snapped back into functionality.

"You heard the captain, lets move." Said Major Domo affirmatively, and the mess of strange creatures flooded out of the kitchen. I discreetly brushed the broken plate under the table with my foot before turning to the Captain, who now stood by the door waiting for me. I brushed past him inattentively, not bothering to give any hint of caring about the "emergency". He was probably blowing whatever it was out of proportion anyway.

"Ok, so what exactly is going on?" I asked, entering the main control room with Eo behind me.

"Something went wrong with the autopilot overnight and the ship flew off course." He explained, "We drifted a little too close to a Class B Supergiant, and now we're stuck in it's gravitational pull. If we don't withdraw from it, we're fried."

My head spun as I processed his words. We all knew a supergiant was a star- a **big** star, and although pretty from a distance, being too close to one of these over-glorified balls of fire was bad news. _We'll never get out of here with this team of scatterbrains in control!_

"How much time do we got, Captain?" Hooter asked, clutching his trunk nervously.

"About an hour, maybe less."

**~~**Eo's P.O.V.**~~**

The whole crew went haywire, fumbling here and there, shouting status reports at one another in an overall attempt to ready the ship for travel as soon as possible. Fuzzball was at the lookout post, while Major Domo received and decifered data being processed by the computer. I stayed calm, like I always did in situations like this, panicking only caused disorder and hair loss. (neither of which I needed) I watched the front window attentively with my hands tight on the ship controls.

"We have engines powered up Captain-"

"But they aren't set for reverse yet." Said Idey and Ody, finishing one another's sentance.

"That's fine, just keep working, it's all going to be all right."

"This is no time to baby your crew and make slow, insignificant changes!" Ryder insisted, hovering over my shoulder. "What we need to do is think quick and be professional. Creating an imbalance in the energy being emmitted by the star might work. We could cause a wave pushing out instead of pulling in, then just ride out of here with little to no effort. Or-" She continued to babble about all the possible solutions, sounding more and more like a textbook article with each fact. I smiled slightly to myself. _Was that an order, Captain Ryder?_ I thought, amused. The ship started to shake, and I grasped onto the control board for support.

"Captain, the star has some waste matter burning up in its atmosphere. The size and velocity of the projectiles could be a potential threat to our ship while we remain stationary." Major Domo said looking up from his radar. I nodded.

"Hooter, get on the cannon. Shoot down anything that gets too close." I busied myself operating the ship's systems while Hooter jumped into the turret. Ryder was barking down my neck again-

"Can you tell me what in your right mind lead you to think that letting _him_ be your gunman was a good idea? If I remember correctly, he was clumsy idiot in charge of destroying half of the kitchen!"

"Are you STILL going on about that? Why don't you go turn the gas on high and stick your head in the oven for a few hours. Nobody wanted you here in the first place!"

"Hooter!" I yelled angrily at him "Apologize to h-". The ship shook violently and I didn't get to finish my sentence.  
_Seriously Hooter, you just had to, didn't you?_ He had always been a little sarcastic and prone to arguments, but Ryder literally communicated through arguments, so it was no shock to me that they kept butting heads. _As if I didn't have enough to worry about already!_ Ryder was fuming behind me. She started towards Hooter and I grabbed her arm in an attempt to prevent the gruesome homicide that was sure to have followed. She whirled around and practically spat in my face-

"DON'T touch me, you got that human?"

"That's **Captain** human to you, Elocin Ryder." I shot back at her. It was about time that Ryder learned I wasn't going to let her run my ship. _( OR boss around my crew...yelling at Hooter was __**my**__ job!)_ Ryder crossed her arms and glared indignantly at me, but remained silent. Hopefully she would stay that way long enough for me to fix things. I turned back to the control panel and began frantically flipping through switches, trying to make up for lost progress.

"Now, Idey, Ody, I need you to-"  
Without warning, a forceful blow knocked the wind out of me and I was thrown to the side, away from the controls. I hit the wall and tried to balance myself, but the constant shaking of the ship sent me to the floor. After a moment of disorientation, I realized that what had happened was far from an accident. Ryder stood defiantly in my place at the control panel, working away at the machinery.

"R-Ryder!" I said, confused. "What are you doing?!" She didn't even look at me.

"I'm saving our asses, that's what I'm doing, since you are obviously incapable of doing so yourself."  
I couldn't believe this was happening. "Ryder, I **order** you to stand down! Do you hear me?"

**~~**Ryder's P.O.V**~~**

_It's about time a real pilot was operating this rust bucket._ I thought, doing my magic with the machinery. Eo sat on the floor with a dumbfounded look on his face. _That's right "Captain", stand down._ He had no right to be piloting a ship if his idea of taking action was waiting for everyone else to do what he could do perfectly well by himself. I had only been working at the panel for a few seconds when the ship began to slowly back away from the star. I smiled triumphantly.

"There, see the results you get when you act like a leader instead of a punk little-" I was drowned out by a series of cautionary sirens that started wailing through the ships every orfice. Red lights flashed all around us, and the room began to shake even more intensely than before. Alarmed, I started hacking away on the surrounding computers, trying to figure out what the problem was. No matter what I tried, the system completely rejected my attempts to control the ship; I was at an impasse. A sharp screeching sound added to the dreadful cacophony, and the ship's motherboard started reciting a message through the loudspeakers in the voice of a female flight attendant.

"Warning: System cannot support current demands. Further action cannot be taken without reestablishing power source. Do you want to continue?" The motherboard said sweetly, as if mocking our situation.

Eo stood up behind me.

"No Ryder, listen to me, you're making a mistake, the gener-"

"Continue." I verbally commanded the computer, ignoring my Captain.

"Very well. Goodbye."

All sounds stopped and the control panel went dark. My brow creased in confusion and I flicked a few switches on and off with no response. Major Domo's data processor powered down too, followed by Idey and Ody's navagation system. The lights on the ship flickered out, leaving only the ominous glow of the nearing star to light our surroundings.

"The ship's generator has completely shut down, Captain." Major Domo reported.

"It's going to reboot, that's what the motherboard said!" I cried in defense.

"Nona _said_ she was going to reestablish the power source." Said Eo in a low tone, "The problem with that is, the ship's central generator takes about forty-five minutes minimum to restart itself. Do you know how much time we have before we're barbecue, Ryder?"

I opened my mouth and closed it again nervously. Eo nodded.

"I didn't think so." Eo's eyes glazed over and he glanced out at the growing mass of fire through the paned glass windows lining the front of the control room. "The last count the system gave me said we had about Ten minutes."

"Ten minutes..." I said quietly under my breath.

"Ten minutes?!" Idey and Ody said in unison.

"Well, It was nice knowing you, trash cans." Hooter said burying his head under the desk.

Everyone was silent then, and I knew what they were thinking. Hooter had said it himself earlier, _"We didn't want you here in the first place."_  
I swallowed and looked down to avoid all the disappointed eyes from drilling a hole into me. Now I understood how Eo had felt on the day of the initiation Ceremony.  
_It's not my fault, I did with the computer said! Any pilot would have made a similar mistake._ I thought, trying to justify my actions. I sighed guiltily. _Any pilot except Captain Eo, that is._

The Captain was the one to finally break the silence.

"I have an idea." He said with a burst of energy that seemed to bring us to life with him. We watched curiously as Eo tore across the control room, ripping through supply cupboards and scrap piles.

"Idy, Odey, where are the spare Oxygen masks?" He asked with his head stuffed in a lower drawer.

"In the medical bin Captain, just behind you." Idy answered. Eo nodded, and within seconds was turned around, shoveling through medical supplies.

"What do you need em' for Captain?" Odey finally asked; a question all of us were curious to have answered.

"I'm going out."

Eo was so simple and matter-of-fact in his response that you wouldn't have thought it to be much of a plan at all without considering the circumstances. _Out..._ I stared out the window thoughtfully. Humans couldn't survive in space without fancy contraptions, their weak bodies weren't able to withstand the vacuum. Eo strapped on the oxygen cycler to his belt and gathered his collected tools in a small knapsack. I looked around the room inquisitively. From the grave expressions of my crew mates and fuzzball's uncontrollable growling, I could tell that they knew something I didn't.

"Captain, the odds of this working are not in your favor, and the odds of you surviving are even less so." Major Domo warned, blipping hazardously. Eo exhaled, making his way over to the exit hatch and stepping into the airlock chamber.

"Look, all I need you to do is put us into hyper drive as soon as I get things powered up." Eo said, pulling the lever that was supposed to activate the airlock.  
"Wait, what are you going to do?" I asked

"He's planning on manually reactivating the generator. It can only be reached from the outside of the ship." Ody explained. "We'll need to get going as soon as we have power, but putting it into hyper drive while he's still on the ships exterior..." Eo looked up and Ody was quiet.  
He turned back to the airlock chamber, which continued to be unresponsive after a few cranks of the lever. The ship's power outage must have also effected the motors controlling all doors and service functions. Eo tried forcing the exit hatch open without use of the airlock with no luck. He crossed his arms impatiently and his eyes wandered around the room in search of something. His gaze locked onto the garbage chute and it wasn't difficult to guess what he was thinking.

"You can't be serious." Hooter said cynically.

"He's Serious." Major Domo assured.

That's when the reality of Eo's plan finally hit me: He wasn't intending on being able to get back inside the ship before we activated hyperdrive. Major Domo was going to have us make the jump to light speed immediately after the generator was functioning again. Not even the most durable extra terrestrial could survive being on the outside of a ship going that fast, their atoms would turn to butter. Eo walked over to the garbage chute and attached the mouthpiece of his Oxygen feeder in preparation for the decent. _He's going to die for__**my**__ stupid mistake._ I thought regretfully. This wasn't going to happen, I couldn't let it.

"Eo, you don't have to do this." I blurted out, much to the surprise of the rest of the crew. "This whole mess was my fault, please, let me go instead. You could tell me what to do-I could take the tools with me- please!"

How pathetic I must have looked, pleading like a child. Eo stared at me in surprise, and I could swear I saw him smile beneath the mask he wore. But he had already made up his mind. Eo turned to Major Domo and nodded.

"See them out of here safely Major." -The Captain said, and then he slipped inside the garbage chute and disappeared.

We waited in the dark, the ship rattling about us. The heat was setting in now, we were so close the the fiery giant that it was impossible to look out the front window without being blinded. I held on to the wall, hiding my face from the others. They would never forgive me for this. _I'll just be dumped back at the University and forever branded as the apprentice who killed her Captain because she was too gosh damn stubborn..._ I ripped myself apart in the silence. Without warning, the control board lights flashed on and the computers came back to life. Major Domo skidded over to the pilots booth and tapped into the controls. Our salvation came with the voice of Nona, the ship's motherboard, and every loudspeaker rung with her new message:

"15 seconds to hyper drive."

I shot a glance at the exit hatch, which now had a fully functional airlock chamber. No one could have possibly stopped what I did next. Major Domo didn't even have time to call out my name as I stepped into the airlock chamber and pulled the lever. It sealed shut and I made respiratory transition as the oxygen drained out. Quickly, I opened the exit hatch and the cold suck of empty space tugged at me viciously. My arms strained to keep the sudden weightlessness from getting the best of me as I peered around the edge of the ship, surrounded on all sides by the black void. I kept my back to the star, fearing my eyes would burn out of my sockets if I looked directly at it.

"10 seconds to hyper drive." The muffled voice of Nona boomed from inside.

I squinted, searching the ship's metal surface until I found my target. Eo had already been inching his way towards the hatch that I now hung out of. When he saw me his eyes widened and he picked up the pace, waving his hand and mouthing _"go back!"_. I promised myself that this would be the last time I disobeyed my Captain. _Funny,_ I mused, _3 hours ago I would have given anything to be rid of Eo...and now..._ I lurched forward, reaching my hand out for his. _...Now I couldn't imagine ever letting him go._

"4 seconds to hyper drive"

With a final stretch, Eo reached my hand and pulled himself towards me. The ship began to hum beneath us and we knew that there wasn't much time. I hooked my toes around the edge of the hatch and pulled Eo and I inside. I slammed the hatch shut behind us and Eo, who had been ready with his hand on the airlock lever, pulled it up, letting oxygen from the ship fill our lungs once again. The glass door of the airlock chamber opened and we fell out onto the grated floor of thew ship in a heap. Numbness filled my body, followed by my vision blurring over, and the last thing I heard before falling unconscious was-

"Hyper drive initiated."


End file.
